Unlocking the Power of Unified Data & AI

 

A Recap of Our SAP BDC + Databricks Workshop

Some workshops are about sharing information.
This one felt different from the moment people walked in.

On November 18th and 20th, business leaders, data teams, architects, and decision-makers gathered for our SAP BDC + Databricks workshop with a shared curiosity and a shared challenge. Conversations began over coffee and introductions, quickly turning into candid discussions about real-world data problems.

Across industries and roles, one question kept surfacing:

How can organizations move faster, work smarter, and finally unlock the true value of their SAP and non-SAP data?

The energy in the room made one thing clear. This wasn’t future planning.
It was a right-now priority.

Where Most Organizations Are Today

As the sessions kicked off, we asked attendees what slows their analytics down the most. The responses were strikingly consistent, regardless of industry.

Most organizations are dealing with:

• Data spread across SAP, non-SAP systems, and point solutions
• Complex ETL processes that are costly and difficult to maintain
• Rigid data models that struggle to support AI and advanced analytics
• Multiple versions of the truth across teams
• Delays in planning, forecasting, and decision-making

There was a sense of relief in the room as participants realized they were not alone. Different industries, same challenges. Every table had a similar story.

That set the stage for the real conversation—what’s now possible with the right foundation.

A New Foundation: SAP Business Data Cloud + Databricks

When the discussion shifted to SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) and Databricks, the room noticeably leaned in.

This is where long-standing limitations begin to fall away.

Instead of extracting SAP data and rebuilding business logic elsewhere, SAP BDC preserves business semantics—hierarchies, relationships, calculations, and rules—and makes them available for advanced analytics and AI through the Databricks Lakehouse.

For many attendees, this was the turning point.

A moment of clarity where it became obvious that much of the complexity, they had been managing for years could simply disappear.

The session walked through how SAP BDC and Databricks bring together structured SAP data, unstructured external data, and AI/ML workloads into a single ecosystem—without expensive re-modeling or loss of business meaning. Suddenly, use cases that once felt out of reach felt practical and achievable.

Use Cases That Sparked the Biggest Conversations

Every workshop has moments where engagement spikes.
For us, it was the use cases.

Liquidity Optimization

When we demonstrated how BDC and Databricks can predict cash positions, identify supplier risk, and forecast late payments, finance leaders immediately leaned in. Questions flowed around real-time visibility and scenario planning—challenges many had been facing for years.

Workforce Analytics

This session resonated strongly with HR and operations leaders. Attrition prediction, workforce demand forecasting, and sentiment analysis—powered by unified SAP and external data—opened new ways of thinking about workforce planning cycles.

Supply Chain Risk Modeling

Proactive simulation and forecasting using internal SAP data combined with external signals struck a chord with supply chain leaders. Many shared firsthand experiences with disruptions and bottlenecks, and the ability to anticipate scenarios before they impact the business clearly resonated.

At this point, the conversation shifted.
“What if we try this?” replaced “Why is this so hard today?”

Exactly what a hands-on workshop should spark.

The Demo Everyone Was Waiting For

Concepts matter—but seeing them work is what truly lands the impact.

During the live demo, the room grew quiet in that focused, attentive way. Attendees watched as:

• SAP data products retained their business semantics
• Databricks applied advanced machine learning without copying data
• SAP BDC brought insights back into business context
• AI models and business logic worked together instead of in silos

Several participants later shared that this was the moment everything clicked—why SAP and Databricks are positioning this architecture as the future of enterprise AI.

What Organizations Must Get Right First

We also spoke candidly about the foundations required for success. Technology alone isn’t enough.

Organizations need to focus on:

• Reducing legacy technical debt
• Designing effective data tiering strategies (hot, warm, cold)
• Defining clear ownership of data products
• Establishing governance before scaling analytics
• Modernizing operations with automation, lineage, and cataloging

This grounded the conversation. Real transformation comes from combining the right technology with the right operating model.

By this point, notebooks were open and notes were flying.

Conversations Over Dinner: Where Strategy Gets Real

A significant portion of the evening was dedicated to networking and open discussion—and this is where the workshop truly came alive.

At each table, stories emerged:

• A CFO seeking real-time cash visibility
• A CHRO struggling with fragmented workforce data
• A CIO planning cloud modernization but unsure where to start
• A supply chain leader navigating constant disruption

The tone shifted from technology overview to shared problem-solving. People connected. Strategies formed. And many realized they already had the data—they just needed a better way to bring it together.

What Attendees Walked Away With

By the end of the workshop, the takeaway was clear.
SAP BDC and Databricks aren’t just integrations. They represent a new way of using enterprise data.

Attendees left with:

• A roadmap for unifying SAP and non-SAP data
• Clarity on making core business processes AI-ready
• Real examples of predictive models built on SAP context
• A stronger understanding of governance and scaling
• A vision for a more agile, data-driven enterprise

Most importantly, they left energized.

Advanced analytics no longer felt theoretical.
It felt practical, achievable, and within reach.

Closing Note

If you joined us in Charlotte or Nashville, thank you. Your participation made the conversations richer and the workshop truly meaningful.

If you couldn’t attend, we hope this recap gives you a sense of the experience—insightful, collaborative, and full of possibility.

And if you’d like a deeper walkthrough of SAP Business Data Cloud and Databricks for your team, Tek Analytics is always here to help.

The future of data is unified.

This workshop showed just how close that future really is.